Umami Burger

Our last meal of the trip!  We orginally planned to have coffee and then power home, but an unexpected need to drive through Hollywood inspired us to visit one last place.  And we were sure glad we did!  Umami burgers is often considered the fifth taste (sweet, bitter, sour, salty, umami).  While they served several kinds of burgers, it was the Umami burger that drove us here. 

Manly Burger

Let's start with the manly burger.  This was a burger, with bacon, smoke-salt onion crisps, and cheddar cheese.  Yes, you have probably had a burger similar to this at your local burger joint, but I must say, it was the "special" touches like smoke-salt that heightened the flavor complexity of this yummy, manly burger. 

Our next yummy treat were the sweet potato fries.  It took a while before we could figure out what was going on with these fries, but we finally figured it out.  They were seasoned with salt, a smoky chili (maybe smoked paprika?), and brown sugar.  The combo was sweet and spicy with a back hint of smoke.  They served the fries with three dipping sauces, homemade thousand island, garlic aioli, and jalepeno ranch.  I wasn't sure which of these sauces I enjoyed the most, but I can say, they were defintely not your usual bbq, and ranch.

Finally, the star of the show.  The Umami burger.  This was a patty, with roasted tomatoes, shitake mushrooms, carmelized onions, and a parmeasn cheese disk, garnished with thei homemade ketchup.  THIS SOUNDS LIKE A WEIRD BURGER!  But I kid you not, I was AMAZED at how smooth this burger was to the palate!  It is a hard thing to explain, but all the flavors melded so wonderfully together that the effect was a complete, fully rounded, coating on all your taste buds.  If this doesn't exemplify the concept of umami, I don't know what does.

 If I am ever craving a dosh garn good burger, I know that Hodad's will be top of mind.  However, if i am craving a burger that awakens the senses and makes me feel like a grown up, this is the burger to have!



Cafe Intelligensia

Our last day of the trip, our last independent coffee house.  A short five minute walk from the Marriot, we discovered Cafe Intelligensia.  This is one of those places that individually drips the coffee, made to order.  Full on organic, free trade beans!  This is where baristas go that understand the respect the art of  crafting a true latte.  If you don't believe me, check out the pics of the drinks.

Angelini Osteria- Panna Cotta

By far, Dennis was the winner in terms of ordering (he selected the grilled octopus, brazino, and panna cotta).  Super yummy!  This panna cotta, light, creamy and refreshing!  Served with fresh berries that added a nice amount of tartness to the creamy dessert.  After all the seafood, this dessert served as a beautiful palate cleanser, ending another stellar dining experience!

Angelini Osteria- Torta Nonna

Recommended by our waitress, this dessert was a nice change from the rich, chocolatey concoctions we have been ordering.  I'm not sure what it comprises this dessert but it the topping was roasted pine nuts, one of those true Italian dishes where the pine nut is pervasive in all forms of cooking not just the customary pesto.  Partnered with a scoop of vanilla gelato, it was a great finish to a seafood dinner.

Angelini Osteria- Brazino

Okay, this was by far, the star of the evening.  A whole brazino, crusted in sea salt and aromatic herbs.  They take the whole fish, encase it and place it in the roaring wood oven.  The preparation alone was a work of art.

Once it's cooked, they crack the case and filet the entire fish.  Served with mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes, all the fish needed was light squeeze of lemon.  The fish was clean, light, and moist.  This was a great example of how good quality food needs nothing to make it taste better, it can stand alone and be amazing all on its own!

Angelini Osteria- Seafood Risotto

Seafood risotto- Clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, white fish and other delicacies of the sea with a rich red broth.  Risotto was cooked perfectly al dente.  The broth, I believe shrimp based, was clean, allowing the flavors of the seafood to stand out.  There was also just enough spice in the broth to wake up the tastebuds (you know how sometimes seafood dishes can been slightly bland).  This was a generous portion, laden with seafood, incredible!

Angelini Osteria- Lasagna Verde

I am starting out with the most unimpressive of the entrees selected.  NOTE: this is a relative scale to those items ordered.  Standing on its own, it was delicious but compared to the others, it was the weakest link.

This was selected by Giada as one of the best things she ever ate.  Spinach lasagna noodles encasing a deep rich ragu.  You can tell this sauce was one of those things that has been simmering on a stove all the live long day. 

The best part of this dish was the arugula that was flash fried and used as garnish.  Light, crispy and crunchy, it made you excited to eat your vegetables!

P.S. The bottle of wine we selected was fabulous!  The winemaker trained in California and went to Italy, so it was a blend of both the fruit forward California wines and mineraly European varietals.  One day, I will blow up the photo to remember what it was we drank!